- Author: Rachael Freeman Long
- Author: Daniel H Putnam
Dog gone it's hot!
This is expected in our Central Valley at this time of year, but when heat waves hit, it's important to be prepared with good irrigation management practices in alfalfa hay production.
Can alfalfa tolerate extreme heat? The short answer is ‘yes'. Alfalfa is originally from the Middle Eastern regions of Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia, so it is well adapted to hot, dry conditions. It's also routinely grown in the hot deserts of Arizona, Southern California and Mexico.
Managing Water. It is especially important that the crop has access to water during hot periods. In the absence of water, the crop will dry down and go...
- Author: Michelle Leinfelder-Miles
- Author: Mick Canevari
We have become aware that common purslane (Portulaca oleracea, Fig. 1) is an increasing problem in alfalfa fields, particularly during the months of July through September. A pest control advisor (PCA) was recently seeking advice on managing purslane in glyphosate-tolerant alfalfa fields this summer. He said that the purslane was getting raked up into the windrowed hay, and he was concerned that the moisture of the purslane would cause mold and hay discoloration or even spontaneous combustion of the hay once baled. He said that glyphosate was not effective at controlling the purslane, and he was considering applying carfentrazone (Shark) as an in-season, post-emergence herbicide. Let's dissect this situation.
Common...
- Author: Nicholas Clark
Last year many forage sorghum fields were heavily infested and damaged by Sugarcane Aphid (SCA) (Figure 1) – Melanaphis sacchari – feeding. Most calls came in around early July of 2016 with reports of aphids that were not well controlled using broad spectrum materials such as malathion, chlorpyrifos, or dimethoate. This triggered investigations which confirmed the invasion of the new species of aphid to California.
Based on field research and extension material from the US states in the South and Southwest, some basic guidelines for spotting, scouting, and treating SCA can be outlined for potential best management practices in our CA forage sorghum production system.
Identification:...
- Author: Stephanie Parreira, UC Statewide IPM Program
Bees are the most important pollinators of California agriculture—helping us grow field crops, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Honey bees receive most of the credit for crop pollination, but many other kinds of bees play an important role as well. There are 1600 species of bees in California! Take time during Pollinator Week to learn about the different kinds of bees and what you can do to help them flourish.
Why should I care about other kinds of bees?
Bees other than honey bees contribute significantly to crop pollination. For example, alfalfa pollination by alfalfa leafcutter bees is worth $7 billion per year in the United States. Other bees can also boost the result of honey bee...
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
DAVIS--A memorial for UC Cooperative Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey, a 26-year member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 7 in the Putah Creek Lodge, located off Garrod Drive, UC Davis campus.
Coordinating the memorial are his long time friends and colleagues, Extension entomologist Frank Zalom, distinguished professor of entomology, and entomology project consultant Vonny Barlow, both of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Barlow, the third graduate student in the Godfrey lab (1997) and who holds a doctorate (2006) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and...